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Sunday, October 13, 2013

Are You Safe On SEPTA?

Are you safe riding SEPTA? Riders report that taking SEPTA is becoming more and more dangerous. SEPTA provides mass transit for the Philadelphia and Suburban Philadelphia areas. Unfortunately, due to driver disinterest and overcrowding riding the buses and trolleys is becoming more dangerous every day.

Incidents include fights due to overcrowding (with no intervention by the driver), shoving and pushing, drivers allowing the perpetrator of inappropriate conduct to get away with aggressive conduct instead of pulling over and putting them off the bus or the trolley at the next stop.

If you take SEPTA chances are you have either been the victim of violence on their vehicles or witnessed it and reported it with no change in the way drivers react to violence on their bus or trolley. Some riders bully smaller or weaker riders to take seats. Riders no longer feel safe taking the bus in certain areas, even in the safer 'burbs.

In just the last month I have heard reports of incidents on SEPTA where no action was taken and the same events happen over and over caused by the same individuals with no intervention by drivers. Buses are so crowded that passengers who want to get off when an incident escalates can't get to the door to get off.

SEPTA please make it safe to take your buses and trolleys again. Provide an inservice of handling violent passengers for your drivers, because obviously some of them missed the content of the last one. Then followup when a rider complains and ride the bus or trolley where the incident was reported to check on the safety quotient on that line.

I know there are more and more people riding today due to the increased cost of purchasing gasoline but that doesn't mean the safety quotient should decrease. And if you witness or have been the victim of violence on SEPTA please contact them and report the bus or trolley you were on and information on the time and place it took place and the driver's name. We have to be responsible for reporting violence or the SEPTA hierarchy won't know it's happening until it escalates out of control and someone is hurt.

And if you live in a different area and take mass transit be sure to be aware of and report issues on your transit system. This problem isn't just a Philadelphia problem. Be safe!